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1958 Map of Paradise Valley

Name: 1958 Topographic Map of Paradise Valley
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1967
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1967

About this map

Paradise Valley sits at the intersection of a sprawling high-desert ranching economy and the steep, mineral-rich slopes of the Humboldt National Forest. In the late 1950s, this landscape was defined by its extensive system of family-run operations, including the Marie Miller Ranch, Ferraro Ranch, and Old Colony Ranch, all situated within the broad expanse of Big Valley. The map records the remnants of earlier frontier travel, specifically the Paradise Well (Old Stage Sta) and Willow Point (Old Stage Sta), marking former stops on the stage lines that once traversed this basin.

Water management and mining were critical to life in this arid region, evidenced by the Levee system near the Little Humboldt River and scattered industrial markers like the Ore Mill and various Tunnels in the Santa Rosa Range. From the high point at Paradise Pk down to the sloughs and creeks on the valley floor, the survey details a transition from rugged alpine terrain to fertile grazing land fed by Martin Creek.